New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-21

AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY by the author rs OF S0ns
NonL PATox 4to PIP 23s. Harper Brothers
This Is another of the fruits of the
Int Mrs Craik's vacation tours. The
method employed in making books OF this
kind is not 10 be approved. Inc uhc
limit absolutely disabes an author for tic exercise
of cool Judgment and thorough observation. Most
things and llnccs have be dashed over at racing
speed Many objects specially deserving eXamina-
ton have to Dc neglected. There is no leisure Ior
reflection The conclusions reached are seldom OF
much value, for they are not the result OF patent
research and prolonged examination lhere is
always too. about such books the feeling that 'ey
are largely if not altogether hack-work hurrleul9
scrambled together to pay the expenses OF Tic TOUR
Mrs Craik chose n PROMISING region for cXplora-
tion She went into tie "blacli" north OF Ireland
Antrim. lister. sligo and Donegal. 1t is little
travelled tart OF the island, the Giants |auSc""y
being tic principal point of attraction. Inc "o-
on,rro. Of the narty which consisted OF TWO
English girls and one Irish girl besldesthe au,nor'
and later ON a Scotchman, do not appear TO nave
loon al All exciting. They were frequently clueh'
T., tho rain and wet through. but that is hoth'ns
ot all in Ireland where wet weather is so usual
and the rcorl. 80 accustomed TO lie damp OF urlP-
,ino that very few OF them carry nmDr''iaS Inc
scenery is generally Wild often desoia'c' anu III
some places savagcly magnificent
Mrs Crajk was kindly received everywhere, ana
heinz herself Irish one side OF the 1ah'E' Hcr
svmpathies went out freely T. the people Tor whom
She naturally makes ont the best case posi- "
But what little she saw of them fortcd her l"
conclude that there is defect OI conduct iroin
whatever cause arising, when wouiu prevent
Prosperity even if the land question was S"oe
factori,v SETTLED This defect hardly one of charac-
ter since it seems to vanish often III o'her
countries She suggests may be an effect OF climate
the excessive humidity of which perhaps chcr-
Yates the people. But since they exhibit a quite
surnrisnc energy in all matters that interest
them this explanation does not really meet the
dificultv Mrs Craik observed a general Indlspo-
sifion TO improve the SITUATION. which she thought
Encouraging. and the more so because sic also
noticed disposition TO oppose all efforts at ih-
Irovcmcnt by others. She says: Then, TOOL
own il with liter regret, but must own 1.-THE
whole country is, CON- AIRED with EhgIai" UT
Scot land a full century bchindhand IN clNil'Ha-
ton | do not speak of luxury. but OF ordinary
comfort-of making the best OF whatever one
has Of mendng what wants repair. OF removing
what is unsightlV. and adding to usefulness
rrcttincss All this seems 10 he totally absent from
the ordinary Irish mind. except 0! coarse the cuIu
waited classes which are much the same in all
for size saws further on: Yet, whatever outsiders
NAV think or say, the Celtic race is mtrnsicaily
n noble race free from many modern vices, even
v-l,ila clinpinr TO some harharic sins. You may
hate it, but YOU cannot dcspiSc 1t; and YOU cannot
live among il, even while seeing all its errors,
without feeling your heart warm TO IT, ana 10
its enormous possibilities of good Mrs. OralR
hadthe good scnse TO refrain from trying TO sctt"
the Irish question. 1t Is q temptation which proves
too strong for most tourists, who seem to feel
that after riding on an outside car, smelling the
Icat reok tasting Irish wh>key aud hearing the
broguc SPOKEN on its native soi they are III
some mysterious way seized and possessed of pro
found knowledge concerning Irish problems both
general and particular.
Mrs Crail dos not do this She admits frankly
that she does not understand the question. Its
Status indeed is mutahe. as a lttl' circumstance
ind Gates When she was at GwcCdorc the tenants
there were oontcnted and cheerful and satisfied
with the landowners. That was only few
months AGO, and now our cable dispatches are
daily informing US OF cVietionS at Gwecdore and Of
deS crate resistance male by the eVlc'cd. Clearly
gieat change has passed over that corner OF the
island in lrci slacc af time, and who can
yuc fLc zeal moaIrng of il am One significant
fact she noted first entering Ireland
EvcrN body. She found was bent upon discovering
the political opinions Of those whom they met,
and on cOncoaling their own There Is great
Zeal in that fact Ii indicates an unhealthy con-
liion of society and general state of mistrust
and apprehension showing how dccl ly tie disputes
Of the day affect ordinary intercourse. She seems
to have en- ountcrcl prcvaI ling lack OF confidence
rs 10 the future OF the country. and this among
all classes The peasant, she intimatcs, IS by no
means 50 much a home ruler as is thought. He
may ofun neither honor nor swear by MIR.
parcll Yet he is apt 10 take seriously the
prcensons Of men who sell tickets which they
assert will cn'iuc the holder TO an estate the
name of which /, written, on each bit of pastchoard
when the grand ii ision takes place The land
owners who live on the land are naturally not
sancune and yet all classes maintain a Character
istc olity There is plenty of interesting descrip-
ton in the book, and Mr.. Noel IatOn's illustra-
tiOns very good.